Is family coming to the States for an extended visit? What happens if they fall ill and you need to take them to the hospital? Don’t know the answer? You can turn to someone who does: K.V. Rao, the founder of India Network.
Dr. K.V. Rao has devoted the last two decades to helping Indian immigrants avoid crisis when a medical need suddenly strikes far away from home.
His India Network is a not-for-profit foundation that offers a low-cost group medical insurance plan for visitors - including parents, students, temporary workers and their families. The plan provides coverage for visitors’ medical needs in America.
We see plenty of reasons to trust the health of our loved ones (and our wallets) to Dr. Rao’s program.
The plan includes coverage for pre-existing conditions, emergency medical evacuations and door-to-door travel to and from home worldwide. As the largest single buyer from the major American insurer AIG, Rao’s organization has the clout to deliver superior quality where others cut corners, says Rao.
Rao’s mission with India Network Foundation started in 1989 with just a few Indian families in a small town in Ohio who were hoping to form an acquaintance. It has since blossomed into a virtual community, medical insurance plan and charitable outreach program reaching tens of thousands of people.
Yet Rao claims the community still needs more awareness about the need for medical insurance for visitors. “Some people I meet are ignorant of the differences in the healthcare system here, that it is not a social program in the U.S. and that without insurance they could end up personally responsible for very significant medical costs,” he says. Rao is hoping to convince everyone for the need for visitors insurance, “even if there is a physician in the family.”
Noting that his organization has bailed out families in crisis in the past, Rao advises: “Get insurance before you think you need it because you are ill. By then, it is probably too late. Only well people can qualify for insurance.”
Rao continues to do more to keep communities healthy. This month, the Foundation launches a new online physician consultation service made up of 400 physicians fluent in Indian languages. For $25, anyone - including plan members and non-members alike - will be able to consult with one of the network physicians online (for information, visit www.kvrao.org/docs.html).
Learn about India Network at www.indnet.org and www.kvrao.org.
